2011 Chicago Bears Draft Preview

The Bears surprised many people last season, including myself, by reaching the NFC championship game. However, the season was a disappointment because they did not win the Super Bowl. The Bears finally have a first and a second round pick after a two-year hiatus and it could not come at a better time. Many of their players are getting up there in age and they have several holes to fill to make them a consistent contender. Not to mention the fact that divisional rival Green Bay is a young team and has had success in drafting over the years. Bears GM Jerry Angelo on the other hand, has not been very successful in drafting players during his tenure. Since taking over as GM in 2001, Jerry has drafted only six players (Tillman, Manning, Hester, Olsen, C. Williams, and Forte) in the first or second round that are still on the team. All drafts are critical to a team, but this draft is especially critical for the Bears to draft well to remain in contention for the NFC and Super Bowl title.




Bears Draft Picks, Round (Pick #): 1 (29), 2 (62), 3 (93), 4 (127), 5 (160), 6 (195).

Needs (In order of importance)

1. Offensive Line: The most pressing spot on the line is the LT spot, but the other 4 positions are of need as well. In 2008, the Bears thought they drafted their LT of the future in Chris Williams. Injuries and inconsistent play has limited him in his brief career. Center Olin Kreutz is a free agent and will be 34 in June and the other spots on the line is full of make shift players. The Bears would love for Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin to fall to them at 29, but that may not be likely. Many mock drafts have them selecting OT Derek Sherrod from Mississippi St.

2. Defensive Line: Other than the production from Julius Peppers, there was not much else production from the DL last season. Israel Idonije had a nice season, but he benefited from playing opposite of Peppers. Tommie Harris was released before the lockout but underachieved and was injury prone his last few years in Chicago. DT Corey Liuget from Illinois would be a nice prospect to see fall to the Bears at 29 if all the top OL prospects are off the board, but that seems unlikely. DT Marvin Austin from North Carolina (“Don’t drink and twitter,” Brent Musburger) may still be on the board, but he has character issues and the Bears usually stray away from character issue players.

3. Cornerback: Charles Tillman is a solid pro, but the other corner spot is still a question mark. Tim Jennings did ok as the second corner during the year, but he was exploited in the NFC championship game. Not to mention the fact that he is like 5’2. Zackary Bowman has always had good training camps, but he has not been able to translate that into the regular season. The Bears need to pick up a competent corner that can help defend the multiple receiver formations that teams such as the Packers show.

4. Wide Receiver: I think the Bears think higher of their receiving corps than they should. It is a decent group of number 2 and number 3 receivers, but they do not have that one guy you can consistently count on to make a play. Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox made strides of improvement this past season, but I do not believe they are going to develop into a number 1 receiver at any point in their careers. I am high on Jon Baldwin from Pittsburgh and if he were to slip to the Bears when they draft in the second round, I would not be disappointed if they drafted him.

Low and behold, as I get home from work early this morning I come to find an article from Chicago Breaking Sports that the Bears are shopping their first round pick. I am not surprised in this maneuver what so ever. Jerry Angelo has a history of dealing first round picks in order to trade down to acquire more picks. I guess I would not be too upset if he trades out of the first round, granted they get in return a pick that is early in the second round and another mid round pick or two. They had also better be sure the prospect(s) they are targeting would still be on the board at that point. I just have a gut feeling, based on experience, that the 29th pick will be traded at some point Thursday.

Other Bears Off-Season Quick Hits

- While I am on the subject of the Bears, I feel I should address a few other offseason notes. The first one is regarding Mike Martz. He recently turned down a contract extension from the Bears because it did not include a raise. I have a question… Why does Martz think he deserves a raise? The Bears were 30th in the NFL in total offense last season, a decrease from when they were 23rd in the league in 2009. His offensive philosophy was one of the reasons in how Jay Cutler sustained his first injury of the season (concussion), causing the Bears during their bye week to tell Martz to balance the offense out and stop calling passes that require 7 step drops. His play calling in the NFC title game was also questionable. I mean, who can forget the reverse to Earl Bennett on third down with about a minute and a half left in the 4th quarter right? Martz should just be happy he is in the league right now. One final thing, how about Martz demanding a veteran backup quarterback during training camp? The choice, Todd Collins. Enough said.

- Jay Cutler finally opened up about his injury during the NFC championship game. Cutler said, “I was gone, and I stayed away from it all, but I can't say it didn't bother me that people questioned my toughness and desire to play.” That quote just speaks to Cutler’s personality. He is not a person who is particularly interested in what people say or feel about him. Nor is he going to be front and center in the media being vocal about how wrong all the critics were about his injury. Jay is Jay, and that is just the way it is.

- Finally, I know Charlie wanted me to touch on this, Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari are reportedly engaged. My response, congratulations to the both of them.



-Michael Fant

2011 NFL Schedule Thoughts For The SnoTap Favorites

We have a wide fanbase here on Snotap ranging from the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, and Indianapolis Colts. It might be pointless to do all of this because they might take away a couple of the games, I figure if I can provide a one-stop location for some fans than why not. I will leave my thoughts after each schedule



Green Bay: 
9/8- vs. New Orleans (NBC)              9/18- at Carolina (FOX)            9/25- at Chicago (FOX)
10/2- vs. Denver (CBS)                      10/9- at Atlanta (NBC)           10/16- vs. St. Louis (FOX)
10/23- at Minnesota (FOX)                10/30- BYE                            11/6- at San Diego (FOX)
11/14- vs. Minnesota (ESPN)            11/20- vs. Tampa Bay (FOX)  11/24- at Detroit (FOX)
12/4- at New York Giants (FOX)      12/11- vs. Oakland (CBS)       12/18- at Kansas City (CBS)
12/25- vs. Chicago (NBC)                     1/1- vs. Detroit (FOX)

Thoughts: Personally, I love this schedule.  I mean I don' t like road games in Atlanta and Kansas City, but other than that?  I really feel if the Pack have a season they can be 13-3 for sure.

Chicago Bears:
9/11- vs. Atlanta (FOX)                   9/18- at New Orleans (FOX)       9/25- vs. Green Bay (FOX)
10/2- vs. Carolina (FOX)                10/10- at Detroit (ESPN)             10/16- vs. Minnesota (NBC)
10/23- at Tampa Bay (FOX)           10/30- BYE                                 11/7- at Philadelphia (ESPN)
11/13- vs. Detroit (FOX)                 11/20- vs. San Diego (CBS)        11/27- at Oakland (FOX)
12/4-   vs. Kansas City (CBS)          12/11- at Denver (FOX)             12/18- vs. Seattle (FOX)
12/25- at Green Bay (FOX)                1/1- at Minnesota (FOX)

Thoughts: The Bears start off with three straight playoff teams, they have a Jay Cutler Reunion in the Mile High, which is exciting.  They also head to London to play Tampa, and Philly on Monday Night isn't fun.

Minnesota Vikings:
9/11- at San Diego (FOX)                 9/18- vs. Tampa Bay (FOX)      9/25- vs. Detroit (FOX)
10/2- at Kansas City (FOX)              10/9- vs. Arizona (FOX)           10/16- at Chicago (NBC)
10/23- vs. Green Bay (FOX)            10/30- at Carolina (FOX)          11/6- BYE
11/14- at Green Bay (ESPN)            11/20- vs. Oakland (CBS)         11/27- at Atlanta (FOX)
12/4- vs. Denver (CBS)                    12/11- at Detroit  (FOX)            12/18- vs. New Orleans (FOX)
12/24-at Washington (FOX)                1/1- vs. Chicago (FOX)

Thoughts: If the Vikings can find a quarterback (see not Donovan McNabb), I like their chances to be successful. This isn't a brutal schedule by any shape of the imagination. The only tough road games are Atlanta and Kansas City

Oakland Raiders: 
9/12- at Denver (ESPN)                   9/18- at Buffalo (CBS)                  9/25- vs. New York Jets (CBS)
10/2- vs. New England (CBS)          10/9- at Houston (CBS)               10/16- vs. Cleveland (CBS)
10/23- vs. Kansas City (CBS)          10/30- BYE                                 11/6- vs. Denver (CBS)
11/10- at San Diego (NFLN)           11/20- at Minnesota (CBS)         11/27- vs. Chicago (FOX)
12/4- at Miami (CBS)                      12/11- at Green Bay (CBS)         12/18- vs. Detroit (FOX)
12/24- at Kansas City (CBS)               1/1- vs. San Diego (CBS)

Thoughts: The Raiders have a weird schedule with most of their home games in the front part of their schedule therefore they need to win early. If they want to be successful, it's a must for them to beat either the Jets or the Patriots because they aren't winning in Green Bay/Kansas City in December.  

Indianapolis Colts:
9/11- at Houston (CBS)                   9/18- vs. Cleveland (CBS)             9/25- vs. Pittsburgh (NBC)
10/3- at Tampa Bay (ESPN)            10/9- vs. Kansas City (CBS)        10/16- at Cincinnati (CBS)
10/23- at New Orleans (NBC)        10/30- at Tennessee (CBS)           11/6-  vs. Atlanta (FOX)
11/13- vs. Jacksonville (CBS)         11/20- BYE                                  11/27- vs. Carolina (FOX)
12/4-   at New England (NBC)       12/11- at Baltimore (CBS)            12/18- vs. Tennessee (CBS)
12/22- vs. Houston (NFLN)             1/1-   at Jacksonville (CBS)

Thoughts: Peyton Manning hopes for a healthy team this year with road trips to the Big Easy and Foxboro plus home games against Pittsburgh and Atlanta. It always seems they have a tough schedule, and a primetime game against Houston to make the Texans relevant.

-Charlie.

Cutler Can't Catch a Break

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. 

The quote above is from the Wizard of Westwood himself, John Wooden, and to me, it really speaks to what is happening in Chicago, after their 21-14 defeat against the Green Bay Packers.  Jay Cutler became the latest NFL villain as it appeared he gave up and didn't want to come out for the second half.  Many NFL and former NFL players took to Twitter to rip Cutler for looking like he didn't give a damn if the Bears won or lost that football game. 

Cutler did have an MCL sprain, which is usually a 3-4 week injury and due to Cutler's diabetes, he could not take a painkiller shot at halftime. Now, a lot of NFL players have probably played with that sort of injury, but Cutler couldn't do it.  Honestly, if Cutler would have either been on crutches, helping Caleb Hanie with the defenses, or look excited if the Bears might come back and win, this is a non-story. Cutler looked like a spoiled rich kid who was cold and wanted to snuggle with his reality star girlfriend instead of being with his team. 

I do wonder if Cutler will end up regretting this decision when his career is done.  Who knows if he will ever get back to this stage, I assume he will, but you never know.  In my opinion, that's why guys like Maurice Jones-Drew was so mad about Cutler because Mojo would probably give his 2010 salary to be a part of Championship weekend with a chance to go to the Super Bowl.  Cutler will always wonder what if he gutted out this performance, you never know until you try.  

Here's where we arrive at that quote that began this post, Cutler is perceived as a soft football player around the league. People don't like him, respect him, and most probably wouldn't want him on their football team. On the other hand, his teammates came to his aid talking about how tough he really is and none of us really understand that which might speak to his character. But Brian Urlacher, Jerry Angelo, Lovie Smith, and Chris Harris didn't watch the game seeing him look disinterested out there causing the tweet firestorm.

-Charlie.

Packers to Super Bowl XLV

The Green Bay Packers have the chance to collect another one of these! First of all though, I want to congratulate the Bears on a tough game. I thought the game wasn't as close as it seemed, but the Bears refused to quit and you have to give them a lot of credit. Not exactly the cleanest game for either team, but I was nervous when Hanie had the ball with under a minute in the 4th quarter.  Again, amazing game, as we all thought it would be, and tip your hats to the Bears.

That being said, the Packers earned the right to go to this game and it really hasn't hit me yet.  My early thoughts are that we have a very good chance in two weeks to win the Super Bowl regardless of who we play, but again this game showed just how good the Packers defense is, even when our offense stalls.  Aaron Rodgers came out blazing and scored that first TD.  Then Starks pounds one in and I thought it was all over with the Packers up 14-0.  I think it's obvious that not having Jay Cutler actually helped the Bears, minus Todd Collins, but Caleb Hanie performed exceptional considering the circumstances. 

Another key to the game was Tim Masthay.  The punter proved his worth in this game limiting Devin Hester to no real dangerous punt returns.  I loved the way the special teams played with a chip on their shoulder.  Credit the playing surface for a little help in slowing down Hester, but they really had a sound, solid performance. 

There will be lots of analysis in the next two weeks I'm sure, and I hope to hear some opinion from Mike Fant about his Bears, who performed well after Cutler went down, and it looked like Matt Forte was single handedly going to beat the Packers, but in the end, Sam Shields made the play to seal the victory and send the Green Bay Packers to the Dallas for the chance to win Super Bowl XLV.

-Pat

Bears Keys to Victory

This week has been one of the longest weeks of my life waiting for the game on Sunday. The Bears and Packers have not met in the postseason since a week after Pearl Harbor. This matchup is for the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl in Dallas in 2 weeks. They split the season series, with each team winning at their place. If the Bears are going to make it to Dallas, here is what they are going to have to do win:

Continued Balance on Offense: OC Mike Martz has done a good job since the bye week in including the running game more in his offense. He realized that the offensive line is not good enough to have Cutler passing 35 plus times. The O-line has gotten better each week in the run game and Matt Forte is one of the better backs in the league. Forte has only carried the ball 26 times against the Packers this year, but if Matt is around that number for the game on Sunday that bodes well for the Bears.

Turnovers. This goes for both the offense and the defense. The Bears defense thrives on the turnover. The Bears ranked 2nd in the NFC during the regular season in takeaways with 35. In both games this season the Bears forced 2 turnovers in each game. The Bears need to try to force 2 or more turnovers in this game as well. As for the offense, it's all about Jay Cutler and ball security. It is not just about him throwing the interception, but also fumbling when he gets sacked. Jay does not do a good job of protecting the ball when he gets hit from behind. The Bears can probably get away with only one Jay giveaway.

Special Teams. This is where the hidden yardage is. It is a significant advantage to start drives near the 40 instead of the 20. Devin Hester is going to be the biggest x-factor in this game. Green Bay did a nice job in week 17 of not letting Hester beat them in the punt return game. Danieal Manning is also a dangerous return man. He finds the hole on kickoff returns and he just goes hard through it, not stopping for anyone. He had one nice return in week 17 and I expect him to have another good return this week.

There are plenty of other keys I can write about, but since this is a prodominantly Packer fan read blog I will not bore you with more. Let's hope Sunday is one of the best football games of all-time with no injuries to the players and also to the fans in the stadium (I have a feeling things may get testy.). GO BEARS!

-Michael

Daily Debate: How Much Does The NFC Championship Game Cost

Grandpa Dan who is still mad about the Atlanta Falcons reference here on SNO Tap asked me would I be interested in going to the NFC Championship game at Solider Field. I told him if the price was right, I would totally be down to it but here is my question, how much is it worth?

I personally would pay about 200 dollars for a good ticket, I know that will not get me a spot in the Windy City but here is why I don't pay more... I cant afford anymore, I couldn't deal with the FIBs if the Bears were to win the game afterwards and would likely do something stupid, and it's going to be cold. I am perfectly okay with spending some cash on food and beer for the game, but over 400 like some people are paying is ridiculous.

-Charlie.

I'll put my personal offer at $100. I'm perfectly content with watching this one within the comfort of four heated walls. That's not taking away from how excited I am to see the Pack roll the Bears. Where you at Mikey?


-Mits

First off Mitchy, the lowest face value ticket is more than $100. Individual tickets go on sale for Sunday's game today at 2 P.M. central and the lowest priced ticket is $134. It's not even worth going to secondary outlets such as Stubhub because of how outrageous those prices are. I would love to go to the game, but it just does not make sense seeing how expensive the tickets are. Second off Mitchy, I thought you were a Raiders fan? I do not get how you can root for two teams in the NFL. Pick one. Here is a link to an article in the Chicago Tribune today about secondary market prices.
-Michael

I would't pay a dime to go sit in that rat hole. In fact, I think the Bears would have to pay me in order to get me into Soldier Field. I'm not about to drive six hours to go sit in that stink pot. Besides, the bastards probably don't even serve Miller Lite. Illinois is afraid to admit that not only does Wisconsin have the better football team but they also brew the better beer. No way I'm paying 8 bucks for some shitty Old Style.

Pay to watch the NFC Championship game in a shitty stadium with the worst playing surface in the league? No thanks. I'll plop down on my couch, drink my Miller Lite, and watch the Pack punch their ticket from the cozy confines of my own home.

-E


MY GOD THAT's MIKE FANT'S MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!


-Charles.

What is Mike Fant's music?

-Michael

Let's Not Get Too Excited

I remember 2008. The Packers destroyed the Seattle Seahawks then my buddy Mike and I watched the New York Giants knocked the Dallas Cowboys off on the road. Mike and I puffed our chests out after that game thinking the Giants had no chance whatsoever. Brett Favre was ready to dominate and we thought this was our year. Everyone agreed  the Pack were going to pound the Giants in Lambeau.  Then Corey Webster and Plaxico Burress happened.

Not as bad as Fourth and 26th, but
this was an awful lost. 

I felt crushed just like the Cowboys fans did the week before and the Patriots fans did after, how the hell did this happen to us?  Now, this is a different team no doubt about it but still people as Packers fans cannot get too confident.  All of the Facebook statuses about punching our tickets to Dallas, and that no one can beat us. I can understand this with how good the Packers have played in the last two weeks.  Also the comments about Aaron Rodgers and Tramon Williams don't have to worry about Pro Bowl because they cannot play in Hawaii anyways. I hate the Bears as much as you do, I just know to take baby steps to Dallas instead of already book my hotel in the Fort Worth area.  

It still can come to a crashing halt on Sunday, and I am trying to level my expectations so there isn't a stomach punch comparable to Floyd Mayweather. Additionally, so you don't find me burying myself in copious amounts of booze that nihgt.  The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have been pretty even in the first two games.  I will do a much more extensive preview on the game on Saturday, but it should be a great battle between two hated rivals.

I hope everyone realizes this Green Bay Packer team is playing with house money.  The fact they are in the final four in the NFL with all of the injuries they had during the season is remarkable.  No matter what happens on Sunday, we have to be proud of what the Packers have done.

-Charlie.

My Thoughts on the Weekend that Was.....(Part Deux)

What a weekend of sports. This is it though. The last great weekend. We had football on Saturday. We had NBA and NHL games that featured terrific match-ups. We had rematches in every single one of the playoff games. Also, we had the largest amount of trash-talking this season and probably in the last four or five years. After this weekend, the slow decline to only baseball starts. It's sad but C'est la vie.



The weekend started at Mongolian Grill in Bayshore Mall watching the Ravens-Steelers game. To be honest, I got bored watching the game. My friend Colin and I were entertained with the follies video that was on NFL network directly beside the football game. The thoughts that I had watching the end of the game were as follows: (1)Pittsburgh and Baltimore have great, opportunistic defenses and (2) Joe Flacco should not be mentioned in the "great quarterbacks today argument." Three turnovers on your side of the field will absolutely kill you. The Ravens had 3. The Steelers had 1. All four turnovers ended with touchdowns. Joe Flacco has a great arm. He is poised and large in the pocket. But, he can't complete the accurate passes that are necessary in the playoffs. I like Joe Flacco a lot, but I would spend the whole off season throwing those 15-20 yard tier 2 passes that he constantly overthrows for interceptions.

The Packers-Falcons game I will skip for now.

The Seahawks-Bears game was exactly what I thought it would be. The Bears have a great defense that feeds off the cold weather and a more than not aggressive opponent. Pete Carroll is lucky he never had to play a game in the snow with USC because he didn't know how to coach this game. The Bears were physical in the run game and Cutler managed the game effectively. Greg Olsen played a great game and finally proved to be the match-up problem that he was supposed to be early in his career. The NFC Championship game will be an excellent contest of bitter rivals, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Rex Ryan deserves all the credit in the world for the win in the Jets-Patriots game. He recognized what your esteemed blogger recognized: if you stop the 0-10 yard throw from Tom Brady, the Patriots offense is ineffective. The Browns stopped the Patriots earlier in the season, and Eric Mangini stated how to beat the Patriots which, coincidentally, is exactly what I have been preaching the last 8 weeks. Brady wasn't used to looking past his first read 5 yards down field, and that is why the Jets got sacks, and Brady looked confused until 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter. This is the first time that the Patriots really missed Randy Moss. Mark Sanchez had a helluva game. He completed "Manning-like" accurate passes to Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. With the strong running game and Sanchez playing at an elite level, I think the Jets may finally get to the Super Bowl again.

The Packers-Falcons game was absolutely awesome to watch. Awesome is an over-used word in our society, but that is the only way I can describe it. Aaron Rodgers had the best game of the season (I won't say of his career because last year against Arizona was the best game). The run game wasn't there early but Rodgers made the big 3rd and 3, 3rd and 4 conversions that the Patriots and Colts couldn't make in their playoff losses. The Packers defense deserves all the credit in the world as well. I told my friend Colin at the beginning of the game, if they shut down Michael Turner, the Packers will win this game by 20. Apparently I was wrong. B.J. Raji is unbelievable in the middle. Tramon Williams, and yes Charlie, Sam Shields were terrific. This defense will need to step it up again on the run defense against the Bears. Watching the game with a die hard Bears fan was a mistake; however, I've already decided that Eau Claire is probably the best destination to watch the NFC Championship game. We will break the curse of Eau Claire for Packers NFC Championship games (more to come later).

Here's a few more tidbits from the weekend that was:
1. The pass to set-up the run strategy was at full force again this week. The Bears, Jets, and Packers all used it to tremendous success.

2. Aaron Rodgers should be in the Pro-Bowl. Tramon Williams possibly as well, but Rodgers getting snubbed by Brees and Matty Ice is absurd.

3. I was shocked to learn that this was the first time Jay Cutler has had a winning season since high school. He had a great first playoff game. The only question is whether it was because of Seattle being a terrible team. I think he will play well next weekend because he wants to compete with his friend and nemesis Rodgers.

4. Bill Belichick's decision to sit Wes Wlker did not sit well with me at all. I feel like Belichick dismissed his wide receiver for a momentary, albeit hilarious slip of the tongue. My thought on the matter is you will never see Rex Ryan sit down Antonio Cromartie or Bart Scott for speaking rashly. The Patriots could have used Welker on their first drive seeing as Brady threw his first interception in 219384739 attempts on it (not that he wouldn't have thrown it otherwise). I just think it was an overreaction.

5. The Miami Heat are the Cleveland Cavaliers 2011. Dwyane Wade is the only difference. Without Lebron James this weekend, the Heat showed that they have no identity on offense and defense. They lacked character against the Bulls, and when the Bulls made their runs with Derrick Rose, the Heat allowed them easy baskets and uncontested jumpers. I think that the Heat are probably a year away from being sheer dominant. I still think they can win the championship, but their overall dominance has yet to been reached.

The Divisional Picks.

This could be one of the better divisional rounds with all four rematches from the regular seasons, and two games with hated rivals. I will be missing Sunday games with work, which leads me to my first DVR football day.  I will probably know who wins before the games end, but that's okay.  Here you go with the picks. 

Saturday 

Baltimore at Pittsburgh- In my opinion, this is the best rivalry in the NFL because these teams hate each other, but still have respect for one another. The Ravens impressed me with their beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs after trailing 7-3 at halftime. The big news today though was Ray Rice caught the stomach virus, which could be a factor and we all know the flu sucks. It will be interesting to see if Rice plays or even contributes. I still don't trust Joe Flacco as much as I do with Ben Roethlisberger.   

People forget how good Big Ben is in the playoffs.  He has two Super Bowl rings already, and has a true deep threat in Mike Wallace.  The Ravens aren't that great against the pass, and I am willing to bet Wallace has at least one touchdown.  The one that pulls me towards the Ravens is the weak Pittsburgh cornerbacks. Bryant McFadden gets picked on all the time, and Anquan Boldin had two pretty solid games against the Steel Curtain.  I am torn on this one, and when that happens, you take the home team by three. PITT 23-20 (OT)  

Green Bay at Atlanta- The Packers are receiving a lot of hype in the last week as they were with Philadelphia but it still scares me.  A must for the Packers is to come out and hit the Falcons in the mouth in the first quarter. The Falcons haven't played a meaningful game since New Orleans further you can argue that game still didn't matter much because they knew Carolina was up next.  This leads us to their last important game on Thanksgiving weekend against The Pack.  If the Packers have a solid first quarter say a 10-0 lead or like a 14-3, this will be a Packer victory.  

Atlanta is a very good team when they have the lead.  They are not built as a quick strike offense that can score touchdowns at will. The Dirty Birds need to ride Michael Turner and long exhausting drives to win this game. In no way can Matt Ryan carry this team throughout the game.  For some reason ESPN fails to mention... Matt Ryan hasn't won a playoff game! Granted, it's just one game but that's the same thing with Aaron Rodgers but whatever. The Falcons are very poor against the pass and every good quarterback has done very successful against them. The Packer offensive line will be the key to this game, if they are great this could be a rout.  But it's a road playoff game so you expect to be close, and that's what I see.  GB 27-21  

Sunday 

Seattle at Chicago- I cannot believe people are buying the Seattle hype. I know this is Jay Culter's first playoff game, which scares me than becoming a part of the Human Centipede. I will be interested to see how he handles himself, but trust me, he will do enough to beat Seattle.  Here's the thing, the Hawks do have the momentum, but they went 2-6 on the road. In addition, Matt Hasselback looked the best he has in three years last week against a weak New Orleans secondary. Not to pile it on like my name is Clay Bennett, but Marshawn Lynch will not do anything against the second-best rush defense. They have four of the best tacklers in the front seven.     

Now that I am on fire like Reggie Miller at MSG, you mean to tell me that Russell Okung, the rookie left tackle has to stop Julius Peppers?! Child please.  I have a feeling we see Clipboard Jesus by the third quarter. To finish off why the Bears will win by large margin, the Seahawks are in the bottom tier at stopping the run and Matt Forte, if Mike Martz allows it, will run wild. The Saints weren't able to balance the run and pass leading to their defeat. The Bears will do it and win handily.  CHI 31-10

New York Jets at New England- People are pumped about this one because the consistent shit talking going on throughout the week.  While the Ravens-Steelers let their play do the talking, the Jets-Pats do not carry that same credence. If I am the Jets, I will take the Packers game plan from a couple of weeks ago. Just use their running game as much as possible, and try to control the clock to keep Tom Brady off the field.  But I keep coming back to Mark Sanchez's noodle arm.  I tweeted last week "Mark Sanchez blows" and "Glad to see the Jets figured out Sanchez has a noodle arm."  He isn't okay, I really think he is hurt. 

Another quick prediction is that Brady will go over the top on Antonio Cromartie in the first five plays of the game and if it's a touchdown, the rout could be on. Most people think this will be a blowout, but I honestly see a close game to the very end with Brady leading a last second drive for the win over Cromartie.  NE 31-28  

-Charlie.